FRIED TACOS OR TAQUITOS

Steps:

• Brown ground beef in a skillet. Drain off the oil when beef is done.
• To the ground beef, mix in the chili powder, paprika, onion powder, sugar, garlic powder, salt, cumin and Accent seasoning.
• In a food processor add the meat, masa and water. Process until meat its a crumble / paste. (optional step - otherwise just add masa and water and mix well by hand).
• Transfer the meat to a clean bowl and let cool. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel.
• Warm tortillas in microwave so they won't break when you are making tacos / taquitos.
• To assemble the tacos: Spread about 2 - 3 tablespoons of the meat filling onto each tortilla and fold over. Press to seal. If you are planning on frying right away, it might be helpful to seal with toothpicks to prevent the tacos from opening while cooking.
• To assemble taquitos: Spread about 2 - 3 tablespoons of meat filling onto each tortilla and roll up. It might be helpful to seal with toothpicks.
• At this point you can fry them immediately, store them in the fridge or freeze them for long term storage.
• Frying the tacos: Preheat oil to 375 degrees. You can use either a deep fryer or a skillet.
• Fry 2 - 4 tacos / taquitos at a time depending on how many can fit into the deep fryer or skillet.
• If using a skillet, fry each side for about 2 minutes. If using a deep fryer, fry for about 2 - 3 minutes. (If frying the tacos / taquitos straight out of the freezer, add a minute or two). The goal is to get the tacos /taquitos to be a little crunchy but not too soft and they get a nice brown color.
• Drain the tacos / taquitos on paper towels before serving.
• Serve with shredded lettuce and Mexican crema.
• If you have leftovers, place them in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes or until warmed through.